Puzzles!

I like to try and quiz the girls informally when we've learned something new to see if they really are grasping the concept. Hannah, always fails my little "tests." She's not a performer. So when I ask her to tell me the sounds of letters. Or if I ask her to tell me the name of a number.. she doesn't even try. Emily's completely opposite. She is okay at showing off her mad brain skills.

Today however. We played with our new alphabet puzzle. She got to put one of the pieces in, but she had to tell me what sound it made in order to do so. She got most all of then right. I think we're going to be doing "puzzle time" for a little while until she remembers all the sounds of each letter, and the names of all the numbers up to ten.. She tends to get 8 and 9 wrong.. and I don't want to move on until she gets recognizing those numbers down. So we have a number puzzle too!

So.. Yep. I love puzzles, we'll be using them often around here.

I admit it.

I LOVE homeschooling so far. Honestly. I really do. We have our good days and our bad days.. But really, I love it. I don't think there is anything more wonderful when it comes to learning as watching your child learn something new and succeed at it. Seriously, just love it and it makes my passion for it stronger each (good) day.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to plan a 1-20 scavenger hunt. I haven't really planned it (my planning time is after the kids go to bed). But I see stickers, a map, and a prize all in it. :-D

A day in pictures.

We've been having lots of fun.
The first picture is of Hannah and her state book. We learn the state and capital, and do a little activity for it, all included in the little books I printed out.

Mommy and Daddy get to go away for the weekend. That means they get to have Auntie Pammy over for a sleepover. We're doing counting chains to count down to our... i mean their special weekend :-D

Each day we look at the calendar. We figure out what the days name is. What the number is, and what the weather is like. The girls take turn writting a day of the week. Then whom ever doesn't write the number gets to tape what the weather looks like on it. Then we discuss what they have and will do for the day. I love this activity. They learn writting, weather, past-present-future, numbers, learning months and days.

Emily was getting bored just reading out of the Ordinary Parent book. So I created this fun sheet. We read the line, and then get to draw what the line was about. She loves it because she gets to read and draw. I love it because it helps her learn to read and draw :-D

We just started this last thing. I've been writting a L and R on the girl's hand so they can start learning right and left. I really think it's working. We're probably going to continue for another week or so. Hopefully they'll have it down by then. Hannah was actually really excited about this.. I don't know why the picture looks like she doesn't like it.. Just a bad picture.

Almost Overwhelmed, but then not at all.

I've been reading a bunch of homeschooling sites.. Everyone seems to have the whole next year planned out. Opps. I guess I'm not on top of things. Actually I thought I was a little overdoing things....and then I read about all these people with their Curriculums all ordered and stuff.. he he eh.

I've decided my approach is a lot different. We are doing the basics like Reading, Numbers, Math, Sight words, and all that stuff. But I am doing it they way I have planned. I feel I am probably creative enough to get it all in. If I feel we aren't hitting on something, then I'll just added it in. I have researched where kids in school are at certain grades, so I will know if I have to step up the game.

I have a few goals, and then I just add in what we want. The girls have been curious with where places are. So we started memorizing the USA and all the states and capitals. We've loved it. The girls have learned a ton so far (we're on like the 10th state). I made a cute little book to go with it. (got it from a book and turned it into an activity book)

Right now we plan on homeschooling for Preschool. Who knows how far it will go. We might homeschool forever, or just for preschool. We'll see. I'm taking it day by day.

One of my goals it to make it fun for all of us. I know that it won't always be fun. But there are so many good resources to make it fun. So, that's what we're working on now. It takes a lot more planning. But it's a lot more rewarding.

Fun Times

We've been having some fun. I should add a picture, but I haven't been taking them as often.. So, let me Google.. One Second....

We've had given up completely on having TV watching in our house for the girls.. Until I got this movie. I love it. It's pretty short, 35 minutes, give or take. But it really has helped re-enforce the letter sounds. Today I'm going back to Costco and hoping to buy the next two that follow this one.

Anyways. What have we been up to? We've been doing lots.
I'm working on letting the kids decide some of what we are going to be doing. I let them choose the craft usually. I give them a few ideas. And then sometimes I ask "what do you guys want to do for fun?" And usually we paint. The girls love to paint, and use stickers, and just draw. I'm working on being a little more relaxed and seeing what they really are interested in.

We've also been studying the USA. The girls have been talking about the city we live in, and trying to figure out where their cousins, great-grandparents, and other family members are. We have been memorizing a new state and capital each day. The girls LOVE it. We so far have 7 states and capitals memorized. They just love it. Each day we review which ones we know, and then we add a new one.
Learning moment: Today we were out and about, and Emily saw a cactus. She goes "they have those in Texas." ... it's fun seeing them learn and grow.
Another Learning moment: We saw a Washington state flag and she goes "HEY! that's a state flag!!"

We've still been doing this book. I love it so much. I'm sold. I have been doing it with both girls. And I knew Emily was ready to read. So we moved on and kept going with the book. But I decided that I needed to review the letter sounds with Hannah. Man was I wrong. She's pretty on top of it.

Learning moment: Hannah came up to me and was like "OUT... and then said the sound of O.. and was like "Out starts with O!" Yep, she's got most of them down. I'm so proud of her. I hope to have her reading the bob books in the next two weeks or so.

It's been really rewarding teaching them so far. I'm excited for the fall when we do our Co-Op and have friends join in on all our fun of learning

Sorry my computer is doing something and i am no longer able to put periods at the end of the sentence or any sort of punctuation
So i guess im done for now

Emily reads.

Today Emily read her first two books. It was the first two bob books.

This is going to make preschooling a lot harder. Hannah is not quite ready to read. I think once we go over the sounds one more time (each letter sound).

But I'm way excited for Emily.. Mostly since she's been ready to read for a while! It's so cute hearing her read.

Update...

The last week or so, we've been having way to much fun.. So i haven't posted... Hopefully I'll get a new update in a day or so.